


The Rat Race

by cordeliadelayne



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Anal Sex, Bottom Castiel, Dream Sex, F/M, Getting Together, Kissing, M/M, Miscommunication, Misunderstandings, Multi, Top Dean
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-05
Updated: 2016-09-05
Packaged: 2018-08-13 02:59:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7959745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cordeliadelayne/pseuds/cordeliadelayne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Castiel thinks he understands how to get what he wants, but Dean knows different.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Rat Race

**Author's Note:**

> Dedicated to aoibhe for whom I wrote the first section in a comment, and who is to blame for everything that follows, as usual.
> 
> Takes place some time after 410 - Heaven and Hell and originally posted to Livejournal in 2009.

> Castiel's eyes are burning into him. He thinks he's dreaming again, but he can't be sure. He knows he's hard, that he wants to touch himself, but he can’t quite get his arms to co-ordinate. He feels, rather than sees, Castiel move towards him, a flutter of wings echoing the flutter of butterflies in his stomach.
> 
> “What was it like?” the angel asks and Dean bucks up, reliving every moment of Anna’s tongue against his body, of her writhing against him, sweat slicked skin sending him over the edge. He recognises it now, that look in Castiel’s eyes. He’s jealous. He wants what he can’t have. And he can’t have him. Not like this. If they’re going to do this, they’re going to do it for real. Outside a dream. He wants to hear _this_ angel scream. He wants to see him lose all control.
> 
> And as his orgasm ripples though him, as he empties himself onto the crappy motel sheets, he swears he hears Castiel’s whisper on the air.
> 
> “Careful what you wish for.”

Dean shifted in his sleep. The heat outside was stifling and inside it wasn’t much better, the AC cranking out thin slivers of cold air that didn’t reach as far as the beds Dean and Sam were crashed out on. Castiel sat in the corner of the room, watching them both, although his eyes strayed more often to Dean’s prone form.

He’d been there for nearly an hour now, not doing anything except watch. He had nowhere pressing that he needed to be, though he kept one ear tuned into what Dean had facetiously termed “Angel Radio”. It was as good a description of the way that the angels communicated as any, Castiel supposed. Confined to these delicate webs of veins and flesh and bone it took more effort to hear his brothers than when they were in their true, pure form, but Castiel was beginning to understand why humans loved their flesh so much. So many senses for one thing – touch, and taste and smell. He was using them all now, his eyes soaking up every twitch of muscle, every bead of sweat that dripped down Dean’s body. So many times he had been tempted to reach out and lick a path along Dean’s spine. And just as many times he had hesitated.

There was a line that could not be crossed. The problem was, Castiel was no longer sure just where that was.

As dawn broke, the thin curtains letting in the light, Dean groaned and sat up; he had the distinct feeling he was being watched. But there was no one there.

With a sigh that he told himself was nothing to do with disappointment he cast a quick glance at his brother and then padded into the bathroom to take care of his raging hard on.

\+ + +

Sam slammed down the lid of his laptop and kicked the Formica table in front of him. Dean looked up from the guns he had been cleaning and raised an eyebrow. Sam ignored him.

Dean ignored him ignoring him.

“So, not got anything then?”

Sam stood up, grabbing his jacket from the back of his chair and shook his head. “I need to get some air.”

He slammed the door on his way out, Dean’s eyes boring holes in his back.

\+ + +

Castiel was standing in the shade of a tree, sheltered from the beating sun. The motel was cheap but not as run down as many the Winchesters had found shelter in, and set amongst some stunning woodland. A young family was playing by the main entrance and Castiel listened in on their mindless chatter. The longer he spent among the humans, the harder it was to remember that there was good in the innocence of children, that the majority of humans were just trying to live their lives as best they knew how, that good was their default setting, not evil.

Thankfully the souls of the young burned the brightest and just being here had settled his doubts, for now. Just as well that Uriel was elsewhere, or he knew he would have to lie to the other angel, just as he lied to himself.

The door to the Winchester’s room slamming shut caught his attention. He watched as Sam looked furtively around and then got into the car that sidled up to the kerb. It didn’t take his angel senses to see that Ruby was in the driving seat.

He should probably follow them. That’s what any other angel in this situation would do. But he wasn’t any other angel. And he had business with Dean Winchester that was best conducted without Sam and his pet Demon tagging along.

++++

Although he was sure he had made no sound on entering the room, Dean looked up and stared at him straight away.

“You took your time.”

Castiel’s eyes widened. “You were expecting me?”

“Don’t give me that crap,” Dean muttered. Before Castiel was quite aware of it Dean was moving and pushing him up against the door. “You have been _teasing_ me for months. What’s with entering my dreams anyway? Only way you can get your rocks off?”

Castiel straightened his spine, uncomfortably aware of the heat Dean’s body was generating. This was not how he had planned this encounter to go.

“It was you who summoned me.”

Dean opened his mouth to retort and then closed it, a deep frown etched on his features. He took a wary step back. “What?”

“When you were with… _Anna_ , you weren’t thinking of only her.” Castiel curled his lips in distaste. “And ever since your thoughts have been pulling me to you.” Dean took another few steps backwards. Castiel’s voice was low and matter of fact, but the way he was standing, the way his hands were forming fists, the hint of wings that Dean could just about make out against the shadows on the wall, were seriously starting to freak him out.

“And you were jealous. That I fucked her instead of you.”

Dean’s word choice made Castiel flinch. He should have known that his plans would go awry when a Winchester was involved.

The screech of car tires outside distracted their staring competition. Dean turned towards the window and started to move as he saw Sam get out of a strange car. He turned to say something, anything, to the angel, but Castiel had already vanished to wherever the hell angels go when they’re not screwing with humans.

“Dammit, Cas, this isn’t over!” he shouted to the room. The room didn’t answer.

\+ + + +

“Are you much injured?”

Dean opened his eyes. “Do you honestly give a crap?” Castiel took a step closer but Dean put a hand up to stop him. “Whoa, there, horsey. Not so fast. You know we could have done with a little angelic assistance back there. We nearly got our asses handed to us.”

Castiel found that he was able to decipher this string of chatter from Dean, even when in other humans the allusions were lost on him. “But you did not.”

“No. Thanks to _Ruby._ ” He shook his head, half in disgust, half in bemusement. “It’s really something when we owe our lives to a frigging demon. And this isn’t the first time, either.”

“She has been proving herself useful.”

Castiel hadn’t quite formed it into a question, but Dean nodded anyway. “Sure has.” He sighed and closed his eyes. “I can see why Sam is willing to trust her. _She’s_ not been letting us down.”

The bed dipped and Castiel cautiously brushed some dirt from Dean’s cheek. Dean flinched. “I’m not in the mood.” When he counted to five and then opened his eyes, Castiel was nowhere to be found.

“Coward!”

\+ + + + +

Castiel stood far back in the shadows. Dean’s words had cut at his essence, leaving behind festering wounds that he didn’t know how to treat. He had thought it would be so simple. It _had_ been simple when he’d entered Dean’s dreams. So easy to make him writhe and buck and to watch as pleasure overtook the hunter. But he’d wanted to be part of Dean’s joy on the earthly plain, and that was the crux of the problem. He shouldn’t want anything material, certainly not the pleasures of the flesh. He should obey his Father and do his duty, and not spend the moments when he wasn’t needed watching Dean Winchester and wishing things were different.

It was a dangerous path, and one that many of his brothers had fallen from before. If only he had the desire to Fall, as Anna had, perhaps that would have been a comfort. But he didn’t.

He knew that Falling would not help Dean and his brother. It would not help his own brothers or his Father. It would not help the humans, most of whom had no idea how far they were from the most torturous existence they could never hope to imagine.

His wings dipped and he sighed.

“Cas, is that you?” Dean asked, eyes straining to see in the dark. Castiel took a step forward.

“Yes. Can I be of assistance?”

Dean nodded his head towards the horde of demons attempting to get into the crypt as Dean and Sam tried to keep the door shut. Ruby was lying in a pool of her own blood on the floor. Castiel stepped over her and put his right hand on the door. He murmured a few words under his breath and a soft light covered the demons and with unearthly screams their human hosts released black plumes of smoke that headed towards the ceiling. The hosts fell to the floor, unharmed.

“Thanks,” Sam said. “I didn’t recognise the spell, it wasn’t Latin…”

“Aramaic”, Castiel murmured, but he wasn’t really paying attention. Instead he turned his attention to Ruby’s prone form. He placed a hand on her forehead and, ignoring the Winchester’s shouts of consternation, began to chant. Seconds later Ruby opened her eyes, which immediately turned black, and she scooted away from the angel’s hand.

“Whoa,” Dean said. “You healed her?”

Castiel turned to look at Dean and was gratified to see a look of befuddlement on the other man’s face. It was good to know he could still keep Dean on his toes.

“She has been proving herself useful.”

Dean nodded, a brief flicker of understanding passing over his features.

“Um, well, thanks,” Ruby said, her eyes slicking back to their host’s normal colour. She let Sam help her up and patted herself down, just to make sure she was all there.

“Is there a Seal near here?” Sam asked. His eyes were darting between Castiel, Ruby, and Dean, trying to work out what was going on.

“No,” Castiel said, standing up, his trenchcoat straightening perfectly as he did so. “I was…in the area.”

Sam frowned. “Oh.”

“You should get those people to a hospital. None of their injuries are life-threatening, but they do require treatment.”

“Right, we can do that…” Sam looked towards Ruby who nodded; she wasn’t going to complain about the angel’s treatment of her tonight, but that didn’t mean she fancied sticking around. “Dean?”

“Yeah, you and Ruby go and I’ll…God Dammit.” Dean hit the doorframe in frustration. “I wish he would stop doing that.”

Ruby huffed softly. “I don’t.”

Sam just stared at the spot that Castiel had vanished from. “Guess he had somewhere more pressing to be?” He looked at his brother then, the question obviously meant for him. Dean just shrugged and turned away, afraid his face may give his lie away.

“Yeah, must be it. Come on, let’s get these folks out of here.”

\+ + + +

Dean was sitting on the porch of the motel, sipping absently at his third beer of the night. Sam and Ruby were off doing things to each other that Dean really didn’t want to think about and he was here. Alone. Or…not.

“How long have you been there?” Dean asked, not even sure _how_ he’d known that the angel was standing behind him.

“Not long.” Castiel sat down on the bench next to Dean. “Do you miss the dreams?”

Dean turned his head sharply to look at the angel, but as usual it was impossible to tell what he was thinking. So he shrugged and turned away. “Should I?”

Castiel gave a frustrated sigh. “I don’t know.” He looked up at the sky and then down at his hands. “We’re not supposed to enter a human's dreams without a good reason.”

Dean looked at him out of the corner of his eye but his silence was telling.

“We need to deliver messages sometimes. Warnings.”

“Threats.”

Castiel dipped his head slightly. “Threats. I hadn’t fully understood how addictive it would be. Watching you.” Dean tightened his grip around his beer bottle. “Wanting you.” He turned to look at Dean. “Jealousy was just a word. Before.”

“And now?” Dean asked, unconsciously licking his lips.

“Now I think I _feel_. But I’m not supposed to feel.” He turned away, frustrated by the sympathy he could read in Dean’s eyes. “I fear I’m becoming corrupted by this vessel, and what’s even worse is that I don’t know what to do about it. I don’t…I have never doubted before.”

Dean took a long drink and set the bottle on the floor. If there was ever a time for some Dutch courage, this was it.

“Humans are always doing things they aren’t supposed to do. It’s what makes us human.”

“And it’s why Hell will never be short of souls.”

Dean flinched. “Well, if you gonna get all Oscar the Grouch about it.”

Castiel frowned and seemed to shrink into the bench. “I’m not supposed to understand the reference, am I?”

Dean smiled to himself, remembering keeping Sam entertained with Sesame Street when they were younger. But a lot had changed since then. “No, you’re not.”

Castiel nodded. “I’m sorry,” he said at last, after the silence had stretched on until it became uncomfortable.

“Sorry about what?”

Castiel raised his hands, palms upwards, in a gesture of helplessness. “Whatever it is I did that angered you.”

Dean looked surprised. “I’m not angry with you.”

Castiel turned towards him. “But I thought…you seemed…” He stopped, frustrated at the way this human vessel made him feel. “You yelled…”

“God, Cas,” Dean said, ignoring the slight twitch of Castiel’s shoulders at the reference to his Father, “I wanted you to _do_ something. You know how fucking good it felt what you did to me in my dreams? I mean….” But whatever Dean was going to say was swallowed up as Castiel pulled him into a forceful kiss. Dean didn’t hesitate to follow through, clambering onto the angel’s laps and kissing him back as if his very soul depended on it.

Castiel groaned deep in the back of his throat and Dean nearly came right there. This was it. What all that teasing had been leading up to. He’d never wanted anything as much as he wanted Castiel. Right now.

“This, this is what I wanted. What I want,” Dean whispered against the shell of Castiel’s ear as he lifted himself up slightly and began to fumble with his belt.

Castiel took Dean’s chin in his fingers and pulled him into another deep kiss before moving away, panting hard. “We should move inside.”

“I don’t…huh.” He looked around at the motel room and the bed they were now sprawled out on. “This isn’t our room.”

“No,” Castiel replied, breathlessly. “I didn’t want us to be interrupted.”

Dean tilted his head and grinned. “Good plan.” And then he leaned down and began to pull at Castiel’s tie as if its very existence were a personal affront. “Tax accountant shouldn’t be such a good look,” he muttered to himself.

Castiel smiled slightly. “I could do that for you,” he said. He gestured with his hands but Dean grabbed one and moved it above the angel’s head. And then he got a calculating look in his eyes and moved the other arm so it was also above the angel’s head. Castiel merely watched him curiously. With a flourish Dean pulled off Castiel’s tie completely and held it in his hands, looking between it and Castiel for a moment.

“Do you trust me?” he asked. He felt a little foolish, knowing what he was about to suggest. And really, if Castiel didn’t want to play along, there wasn’t anything that Dean could do to stop him.

“Always,” Castiel replied, tilting his head back so he could look at the headboard. “I don’t object to being tied up.”

Dean smiled nervously, the sudden flash of his time in Hell intruding. He’d had plenty of practice of tying people up. Castiel moved quickly to cup Dean’s cheek.

“I’m more than willing Dean.” He lifted his hips up a little until his erection brushed against Dean’s. “And so are you.”

“Right.” Dean took a deep breath. “Right. Okay, put your hands back.”

Castiel did as requested and Dean tied them together. He thought about tying them to the headboard too but decided that that might be a little too much for him to handle. Instead he warned Castiel not to move them and started quickly stripping the angel.

Castiel kept his eyes on Dean’s face and Dean tried not to blush at the intensity of his gaze. The fact that an angel, an honest to god eye-searing angel, was looking at him like that? Was kinda freaky. Hot, but freaky too.

“Dean, please,” Castiel moaned and Dean took a deep breath, aware that he’d been staring.

“Sorry it’s just you…your vessel…um, talking of…?” He waved his hands in a circular motion over Castiel’s body.

“He left when I entered.”

Dean nodded. Ordinarily he’d ask for a little more information than that, but this was no ordinary moment.

“I’m gonna take a stab and say you’re clean?” Dean asked as he headed over to the bathroom. Lube he could do, but condoms were going to be a little trickier.

“This body is free of disease,” Castiel replied. He was staring at the way Dean’s hips moved and missed whatever reply Dean gave.

Dean regained his attention by leaning down and kissing him. “Going to make me do all the work, huh?” he asked with a lascivious grin. Castiel’s lips twitched but that was enough for Dean to be sure they were on the same page.

“Okay,” Dean whispered, more to himself than the angel. He started to prepare himself, but did so quickly, knowing that he was too far gone to make this last. “This might hurt, a little,” Dean said. Who knew what kind of man got picked for holy possession, but he figured a guy with prior experience of anal probably wasn’t high up on the list.

“Dean,” Castiel said and Dean looked up sharply at the commanding tone Castiel was adopting. “I won’t break.”

And then Dean snapped. He wondered vaguely if Castiel had done something to him, and he was certainly going to have to have another word about appropriate boundaries at some point. But that time wasn’t now. Instead he pushed inside Castiel’s body in one fluid motion, taking the angel’s assertion at face value.

“ _Fuck,”_ Dean sighed and closed his eyes. This was so much better than any dream.

Castiel’s arms flexed and Dean took that as a signal to move down and kiss him, thrusting into Castiel’s body and his mouth in synch. He was overwhelmed by all the sensations, by the desire that shot through him. And Dammit, but he _knew_ Castiel was performing some sort of angel mojo on him, and he didn’t care. He didn’t want anything but this. The slick slide of skin, the little moans that Castiel didn’t seem aware he was making, the musky scent of their bodies as Dean’s thrusts sent them both over the edge. And then the world whited out.

“Tell me you didn’t just blind me,” Dean asked, his eyes shut and his head resting on Castiel’s chest. He felt rather than heard Castiel’s chuckle.

“No, but my grip on this vessel did slip, for a moment.”

Dean grinned to himself, resolutely not moving. “I was that good, huh?”

“You were perfect,” Castiel replied, kissing Dean on the top of his head. Dean didn’t blush. Much. “Can I move my arms now?”

“Heh, yeah, go ahead,” Dean replied. He started to move off of the angel, but Castiel’s arms stopped him.

“You’re not heavy.” Dean caught the undercurrent of want in the angel’s voice and remained where he was. Besides, it was kind of comfy. Not that he was about to admit that out loud.

“So, what happens now?” Dean finally asked.

Castiel’s pause seemed weighted with the worries of the universe. “I don’t know.”

But rather than worry Dean smiled and then started to laugh. He slipped off of Castiel and lay next to him, leaning on his elbows to watch the confusion spread across Castiel’s face.

“I don’t understand. What’s so funny?”

“You. Me. This.” Dean shook his head in amusement. “You don’t know what’s coming next? So, neither do I. None of us do. _That_ , that’s what being human is all about. Welcome to the rat race.”


End file.
